SECURITY! SECURITY!!!!

On Saturday, Bob and I went to a dinner (blah, got a little sick from eating chocolate after going so long without...) and silent auction benefiting a friend's Church. Have any of you ever gone to a nice restaurant or banquet hall only to find the security hanging out at the bathroom door. FOUR security personnel were hanging out in front of the ladies room. Well, you know your friend Random Helen. Where others see only oddness, I see oddness AND opportunity......
I walked up to the security officers and said....
HRM: Excuse me, are you working security for the St. {You Know Who) function?
Security Officer 1: Yes, ma'am.
Security Officer 2: How can we help you?
Security Officer 3: Is there a problem?
HRM: I'm not sure...
(Security stands looking concerned)
HRM: Could you check my dress in the back to make sure it isn't tucked into my undies?
Security Officer:2 Your fine.....
HRM: Thank you. I feel much more secure now, thank you.....

The second time I went, let's just say they expected it....

I don't know if you guys found it funny, but I did....

If you have something funny to share, how about joining the fun by clicking the button and joining Wendy's carnival...

My Christian Blogs : A Site For Finding Christian Blogs

Click here to get to My Christian Blogs. Yeah yeah. I know you read about it everywhere else, his page says that if we link his blog and write a post about his site, we get in on the ground floor of some cool stuff happening this summer. And I am all about keeping cool in the summer. He has some of our friends on there, like Jon and Pete. I am not going to link them because they don't need me to link them now that they are on My Christian Blogs. They hit the big time. They don't need little ol' me. I'll get over it.
The administrator of this blog has a Catholic as well as a Nondenominational page on which to find new blogs fitting the category. I am happy, because I saw Happy Catholic is on it. I like her. I get some great jokes from her. BTW, her name is Julie, not Happy. I am still going to refer to her by the name of her blog,. Anyhow, click on My Christian blogs. if you want to see a site recommending Christian blogs.

Swine Flu, and Cell Phones, Too

What did I learn this week? Hmmmm.......
I have been watching the news and learned some things about the swine flu. I learned you prevent swine flu the same way you prevent other flu....wash hands, cover mouth when sneezing and coughing, avoid sick people, don't touch anything and then your face, avoid people who are sick (I hate that one piece of advice. If healthy people avoid sick people, who is going to take care of the sick person?), and keep hand sanitizer on hand. The news also said to let it dry on its own, and not wipe it off. The hand sanitizer. Geesh!
It is good to know that you prevent swine flu the same way as regular flu. My friend Candy tweeted that thousands of people have died from the regular flu this year, yet we don't get our shorts in a bunch over it the way we do swine flu. Look, I am not making fun of swine flu. I know people have died, and I am sorry. I am just saying that I learned that prevention is the same as for regular flu, and that is good news, because regular flu can be bad news, too. That's what I learned this week. Yep!
Oh, I also learned how to check to voicemail on my cell phone. That could be useful, too.

Place It on Its Side and It's a Symbol Meaning Infinity...

My friend Sherri did an eight things post and tagged anyone interested in doing one as well. If you are interested, consider yourself tagged as well.
8 Things I Did Yesterday
1) Went to the doctor's office for an exam, because he refused to renew my prescriptions unless I did. The fascist!
2)Began reading Murder Among Strangers.
3)Went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to get two new folding chairs. The X back kind that look like real dining room chairs. Ending up buying a new tray for mom, plastic cups with pitcher (pretty), olive oil mister, fake ice, and a card table for my uncle as well.
4)Watched EWTN (Catholic Channel) with mom.
5)Prayed with mom.
6)Hung out with my husband, who had a day off from work today.
7)Posted witty comments on some of my favorite blogs, and answered scintillating emails.
8) Helped mom with some of her projects.

8 Shows I Watch
1) Dancing With the Stars (Monday)
2) Dancing With the Stars (Tuesday)
3)NCIS
4)CSI
5)CSI Miami
6) CSI New York
7) Numbers
8)Masterpiece Theatre


8 Things I Wish I Could Do
1) Lose weight.
2)Dance well. (Yes, I already dance. Well is the keyword here.)
3)Play the piano.
4) Knit a sweater.
5) Crochet well. (Yes, I already crochet basic stitches, but I don't do fancy doilies or anything like that)
6) Ice Skate.
7)Make strudel like the Bohemian ladies who lived on my block when I was a kid. (Bohemian as in Czech, not as in wild...)
8)Sew

8 Things I am Looking Forward To
1) Meeting Jesus. Sort of. I was thinking about that when I was in Church Saturday Night, and I realized that I am going to feel bad that I haven't talked to Him more than I do. I need to do better about putting Jesus first, so that when I meet Him face to face, I can unabashed put my arms around Him instead of saying that I really meant to give Him a call more often, but got kinda busy...
2) Going to my mom's and my friend's house Friday to help her sort bingo prizes for....
3) The ICF Bingo with a neighborhood nursing home. I know. I spend all day with the elderly (mom). Why would I want to spend my Saturday away at the nursing home helping old people play bingo? I dunno. I just do...
4)CCD begins again in September. I feel sharing my faith is my calling, and I do that with the children at CCD. I can hardly wait for it to start again, and we just finished this past Saturday! I know. I am the only one.
5) Meeting family, friends, and former students in Heaven. I hope that Ewa and Elizabeth (former students who died in the last few years) look me up when I get there, and say hi to me. Maybe let me introduce them to my dad and grandparents. They'll probably say "I saw you crying when you heard I died. Why? You knew better...."
6) Meeting blogging friends when Mare returns from Nigeria. My blogging friends have brought out the friendlier side of me, and it shows in my corporal relationships, too. I tend to blurt things out like I would in a comment now. For instance, Deacon Ken asked me jokingly if I don't feel guilty about a mistake I made at CCD. I said "Not really." deadpan like. He thought that was hysterical. At one time I would have been quiet, not knowing what I should say. Now I just say what I think (unless it is rude, like calling the doctor a naughty name because he took blood from my hand instead of my arm, and that hurts like a....(use your imagination).
7) Grammar school reunion in July. I know. After that nightmare about having a reunion after joining facebook, you would think that I would avoid a reunion. But the woman hosting it is someone I was in school with since Kindergarten, but around fifth grade we got separated into different classrooms and were never put together again. It turns out, she had her own issues with her classmates, too. We didn't know. We could have hung out together at lunch or recess, but I guess we were too wrapped up in our own problems to even notice the other's, and so we didn't know to reach out to each other. She and I don't have any baggage with each other. I know. The same might not be said for the rest of the participants. That's okay. I look forward to seeing Carrie. Maybe the rest will work out, too.
8) I don't know. A vacation may be in the works. My husband thinks I need to get away. You know. Statistics show that caregivers have shorter lives blah blah blah blah....He thinks I should go on my own. I refused. But then a day or two later a friend emailed, and called, and other friends emailed....The friend is trying to arrange for us to have a vacation together. While my first inclination is to worry about mom, I decided to see what happens. Maybe these separate people suggesting I get away (one even doing the work all by herself!) is really God's way of saying "Helen, chillax....."Then again, maybe that's wishful thinking. I have decided that if it works out, I'm going. And I am looking forward to it. (Don't go telling mom. Why should she worry if it doesn't work out. And it is a worry for both of us whether her caretaker can handle her. The woman who comes on Saturday has a job during the week, so we'd have to go through an agency. That can be hit or miss. When mom was better, but needing help, and I was working, we had a lady who was wonderful, and later another later who it is a wonder I didn't hurt her. I'll cross that bridge if I get there. For now, I trust that it will work as God intends....And if my friend is reading this, thank you...)

Googling for the Jung at Heart

Last week Katdish did a post where she told us what people googled to get her site. She used analytics to find this out. Annie told me how to get analytics months ago, and I got it. But then I decided I spent too much time on the internet anyways, so I ignored the stats. Katdish's post got me wondering what people googled to get hear. Some makes sense to me, like searches containing CCD. I know I mentioned being a CCD teacher once or twice. Others, like "songs about freud", have me a bit baffled. When someone googles "songs about freud", are they looking for ditties or hymns? Just wondering.... Or "jung "he is risen", I think jung, having written so comprehensively about collective unconscious, would have been more likely to go with "we are risen", but I digress....
I also don't remember blogging about perms, bonnie hunt neecie nash, or my German teacher in High School(Hildegarde Germaine). Oh well. At least all the searches have been clean. So far.


helen blogspot
jealous type
poprawinie
"her perm"
"hildegarde germaine"
+helen+blogspot
ah..... to be polish
bonnie hunt neecie nash
brewseter rockitt
ccd catholic funny acronyms
ccd classroom quiz game
ccd for 4th graders
ccd kids
crazy nativity sets
dramboui
dramboui liquor
how can you tell if someone is the jealous type
how do you know if your husband is jealous
how to know if your husband is jealous
how to say "don't do that" in polish 1
hrm prayer
husband who are jealous type
i'm sorry but did i ever mention
is your man jealous?
jealous type man
jezu marija
jung "he is risen"
my dad watched wrestling
my husband jealous
o jezu marija
o jezu marija! means
prayer for jealous husband
random facts about st. patrics day
religouis song: he had no place to lay his head
rich mullins cigarette smoker
songs about freud
songs about youth
watching wrestling on tv
what is the difference between sweet chin music and super kick
when husbands are jealous
www.watchwrestlingon.com
ya can't go home blogspot

Happy Sunday

I usually don't post on Sunday, but I just so want to share this. I don't want to wait. I should have shared it last Sunday already.
I love this prayer.
The music it is set to is good, too. It stays in my head during the day. I like having this prayer in my head during the day. Happy Sunday. God bless you.

I find myself inspired to write 25 things about God from this post. Yes, the post is a joke. I think. Still, it got me to thinking...
1) God is merciful.
2) God is just.
3) God is loving.
4) God is ominipotent.
5) God is awesome.
6) God is a Father.
7) God is a Judge.
8) God is Creator.
9) God is nurturer.
10) God is powerful.
11) God has a sense of humor (please...please....please......let this be true)
12) God is eternal.
13) God is unchanging.
14) God is all knowing.
15) God is in the quietness.
16) God is in the thunder.
17) God lights the darkness.
18) God is omnipresent.
19) God reveals himself in scripture.
20) God gets angry.
21) God is forgiving.
22) God gave us His law because He loves us.
23) God loves to hear us sing, even if we are off key and our voices crack.
24) God has room in His Heaven for all of us. We need to want to be with Him.
25) God listens when we pray.

Please don't consider this list exhaustive, or in order of importance (who am I to rank His attributes?). I know. Twenty-five things is not enough....We could go on forever.....But "25 things" is the magic blog world number, so I am sticking with it.

Help Me Stay on the (Atkins) Wagon

My last poll was on whether you all find Easter to be less hectic than Christmas or not.
The results are 1 for less (that's me), 1 for about the same, and 3 for other. Yep. Thanks for participating. My new poll : Do the blue M&M's taste different than the rest of them. A character in the Jonnie Jacobs mystery I am reading says they do. I am trying to resist the temptation to buy a bag of M&M's and conduct my own experiment (for scientific purposes of course). Last week I fell off the Atkins wagon a little bit (a couple slices of cake....a couple of cookies.....some bread....not all on the same day....) but I have jumped back on it. Still, I find myself to be distractedly curious about the blue M&M controversy.

Blago Update: Now he wants to film in the U.S. I think the other wannabe celebrities should refuse, since by accommodating him, the are already treating him like THE celebrity, and thus he has already won before the contest begins.
M&M Update: Who knew you could find pictures of blue M&M's on the web by googling blue M&M's only pictures? I really thought I was just kidding, but boy, I found some.....
Helen's Mental Health Update: She's googling blue M&M pictures, created a blue M&M label for her blog posts, and taking polls about their flavor. SHE FINDS BLUE M&M'S TO BE A CONTROVERSY SHE CAN'T KEEP HER MIND OFF OF! What do you think her mental health status is?

It Must Be Funny, Since I Am Laughing (Maniacally)

Blagojevich was denied permission to go film his little horror show about being a celebrity! I'd write a poem, but Lewis Carrol did one many years ago, so fitting for this occasion....
Jabberwocky
Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

I told you Blagojevich has driven me crazy....I learned this poem years ago, and first understand it today!
I am posting this for "life is funny", because I think it is every bit as funny as Sherri's Florida dilemma.
It must be funny....I'm laughing maniacally, aren't I?



Still not funny enough. Okay. Here is a joke for you...

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?


My momma's hair is salt and pepper, so apparently I haven't been so bad. Or good. Depends on persepective, doesn't it?

I Am Not Standoffish: I AM SHY!

Wow! What a revelation! Seriously. I better start at the beginning...
The director of the CCD program I volunteer for is having a family crisis: her husband ( a young man of 48) had a stroke a few weeks ago, and she is busy with him at the hospital ( which reminds me, will you all pray for Jeff?) so the deacon led prayer time with the CCD children in the gym. I can't say why, but he decide to lead off with a little blurb about each of us volunteers, and what he appreciates about us. Do you know how he started off about me? "When I first met her, I didn't think she'd work out because she seemed rather stand-offish, but she turns out to be a really nice person......" yada yada boom di yah.....
STANDOFFISH! Well, I went right up to him and said in front of everyone "STANDOFFISH! I'LL HAVE YOU ALL KNOW, I'M JUST SHY!" (In the faculty room later, not the gym at the time. See, I really am shy..) Would you believe everyone just burst out laughing, including the deacon?! Nobody will believe that I am shy! It's shocking really.....
Oh well, maybe not. Once I get to know people, I tend to get a little crazy. But it usually takes a while. At my last job it took about six years for me to reveal that I have a sense of humor. I was mostly concerned about my professional comportment, but also felt misunderstood sometimes when I would open up just a little, so I shut off. Except, of course, to people newer than myself. I did want to make people feel welcome. It was when a much younger teacher starter nine years after me that I really opened up, because I wanted to be friendly to her and help make her comfortable, and then I kind of opened up to others.
I guess what it comes down to is that I was so concerned about how people saw me, that I tried to be invisible. Deacon's comments though have opened my eyes to realizing that I was never invisible. People could see me. They just couldn't read me. So they filled in their own blanks.
I wonder how far this carries back..... I wonder how much I have misinterpretted my own childhood.....How much of my childhood social awkwardness stems not from "trying to hard" as I always believed, but from people wanting to put me in my place because I have seemed stuck up and stand offish? And why would I, when I am not? Because I have been too concerned about how people see me, instead of being concerned with serving and sharing with others. I have been selfish. I never really considered that...
Thanks Deacon. And yes, this is the Deacon we were all praying for in December. Who knew then that he would clean a window to help me see myself, huh?

Is That Cat Talking to Me?

I am going to a dinner dance this weekend, and reading this made me wonder: are they talking to me? I know I salsa dance at the supermarket, but not for the whole time I am there. When I was young, I used to dance nonstop......Now, there is very little that I can do nonstop.....

Oh, my friend Katdish at Hey Look, A Chicken did a post about using Google Analytics and what searches people have used and ended up finding her. I have decided to label everything on my blog "porn" so that people get misdirected here, and hopefully find guidance. What's the worst that could happen? Okay, maybe I'll only do that for every other post....

Or not at all...

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday

Not that we don't constantly contemplate God's mercy in sending Jesus to us. We do. But the picture, with the words "Jesus, I Trust In You" reminds us to trust in His mercy.

EWTN's website gives this description:

The message of mercy is that God loves us — all of us —
no matter how great our sins. He wants us to recognize that
His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon
Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to
others. Thus, all will come to share His joy. It is a message
we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC.

A — Ask for His Mercy.

B — Be merciful.

C — Completely trust in Jesus.

There are plenty of websites that give a fuller explanation of the meaning of today, and the devotion to Divine Mercy. I just thought I would share with my friends what I am celebrating today: Divine Mercy, and knowing that I can trust in Jesus.

Silly Saturday

I wanted to share this video with you all, but embedding is disabled. Oh well. Click here to see something silly. Enjoy.

Helen Speaks!

Sorry Wendy. I know I promised you something else for Life is Funny, but me trying to work the mac imovie for the first time is kind of funny.
Please keep in mind that I have a medical condition where the camera adds about 150 pounds.....O.K. Not really.....

Cinnamon and the (Imaginary) Ants

Yaayy for me! I learned something this week!! (Listening to applause...bowing......holding out both hands as I mouth "Thank you" repeatedly.......) I learned that if you spread cinnamon along the wall where ants are coming in, they won't return, because they don't like cinnamon. Who knew? Apparently, my husband's cousin, whose sister (also his cousin) saw imaginary ants at Easter. That's right. She is pointing at ants along the wall that don't exist, and her sweet sister spreads cinnamon along the wall. I later asked if the cinnamon trick is for real, or was she merely humoring her sister. She said her friend told her she did that when she and ants, and she figured that she could use it to accommodate her sister, and it wouldn't hurt the dog. For those of you who have young children, you might find this to be worth a try if you ever have an ant problem. Or a sister who sees imaginary ants. Or happen to like spreading seasoning and condiments along the wall (it makes as much sense as seeing imaginary ants, doesn't it?)

Alleluia!

Jesus walked the earth for forty days after His Resurrection. The celebration continues.....






Have I ever mentioned that Easter is my favorite holiday? First of all, it is the highest Holy Day, for we celebrate what no man has done before or since. We celebrate that the promises Christ made are true, for the proof is in His Resurrection. We celebrate our own victory of death through Christ.
But would it be cool to mention that I also love Easter best because it is not as caught up in commercialism as other holidays? OK, sure, there is the bunny and candy and stuff for kids. I actually think that is kind of appropriate, because kids need to celebrate, too, and candy is something that puts kids in a celebratory mood. But what you don't have is the pressure to wrap this for Auntie Grace, pick out the perfect gift for Uncle Arthur, decorate the house inside and out in a manner to make Martha Stewart jealous. It is our Highest Holy Day, and yet, compared to Christmas, Easter is so laid back. Do I have Easter decorations? YOU BETCHA! Did I give my husband and mom an Easter Card? YOU KNOW IT! Did I cook ham, eggs, Polish sausage, sauer kraut, three different cakes, pierogis, etc....You all know me. Of course I did. But there wasn't this overall pressure to do it. If something didn't get done, I didn't ruin Easter.
Maybe it is different for those of you with kids who have to worry about Easter baskets and egg hunts. I don't know. What do you say? Is Easter less, more, or the same amount of pressure as Christmas. Please vote and let me know, and leave a comment if you would be so kind.

He is Risen!

He is Risen, indeed!

(For scripture readings related to Easter, click on the Mass readings in my sidebar)

Almost Silent Saturday

Ever-patient in her yearning
Though her tear-filled eyes were burning,
Mary gazed upon her Son.

(From the thirteenth century hymn, Stabat Mater)

Today Is Good Friday

Today is Holy Thursday

Jn 13:1-15

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come
to pass from this world to the Father.
He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end.
The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over.
So, during supper,
fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power
and that he had come from God and was returning to God,
he rose from supper and took off his outer garments.
He took a towel and tied it around his waist.
Then he poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples’ feet
and dry them with the towel around his waist.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him,
"Master, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus answered and said to him,
"What I am doing, you do not understand now,
but you will understand later."
Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet."
Jesus answered him,
"Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me."
Simon Peter said to him,
"Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well."
Jesus said to him,
"Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed,
for he is clean all over;
so you are clean, but not all."
For he knew who would betray him;
for this reason, he said, "Not all of you are clean."

So when he had washed their feet
and put his garments back on and reclined at table again,
he said to them, "Do you realize what I have done for you?
You call me 'teacher' and 'master,' and rightly so, for indeed I am.
If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another's feet.
I have given you a model to follow,
so that as I have done for you, you should also do."


Jesus had already celebrated the Lord's Supper. The first first Communion. He had already ordained his disciples to offer Himself to others. He is less than 24 hours from dying. He knows it will be a terrible, horrible death. What does He do? He serves His disciples, and asks them to serve eachother, and His followers yet to come. He is still thinking of others. Will I be thinking of others less than a day before I die? Will I be thinking of others when I step away from the computer? But Jesus was always thinking of others.
Overnight He will pray, be handed over to those who will judge Him worthy of death, be stripped, whipped (scourged, actually), have a crown of thorns smacked on His head, be forced to carry His own cross, and will be nailed to that cross, where He will die. Why? Because the alternative, to Him, was more unbearable, which was for those created in His Father's own image (that's you and me) to be separated away from Him into Hell for all eternity. It was us or Him. He chose to save us.
Thank you, Jesus, for choosing to save me. Thank you for suffering and dying for me. I love you. I know. You loved me first.

This Is A Good Example of Why This Blog is Named "Random Musings"

Mt 26:14-25

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
"What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?"
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
"Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?"
He said,
"Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
'The teacher says, My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.'"
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
"Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
"Surely it is not I, Lord?"
He said in reply,
"He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born."
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
"Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"
He answered, "You have said so."

Judas. The betrayer. A name that lives on in infamy. Worse than Pontius. I never heard of anyone yelling "PONTIUS!" at someone who hurt them. Jesus himself said better for Judas if Judas had never been born.
Some modern plays and movies have attempted to portray Judas more sympathetically. More as misguided follower than disloyal follower. I don't think that is how John or Matthew saw him, but, what can I say?
How I hated Judas as a child. As a teen, I had teachers who taught a more "misguided follower" approach, and I felt sorry for him. Judas, as misunderstood and bumbling. Now, I am not really sure what to do with him but cringe. I am long past the shock of Peter's denial, knowing that at times in my life, I did the same by not speaking up. But betrayal. Have I betrayed Jesus with my sins? Does Helen=Judas except that Judas didn't repent and come back?

I found this video kind of helpful.


(Okay, the video doesn't seem to be working. I am going to leave it up and hope it suddenly starts.)

The priest points out that the disciples had the same question: " Is it I?" Even Judas.

I am not the sharpest tack in this box. I don't have any easy answers. All I can do is trust in Jesus (and hey, trust isn't as easy as it sounds. It should be, because Jesus is worthy, but it isn't, because I am not.) Maybe that is where Judas veered wrong. I don't know. I can only trust Jesus.

Okay, now I am thinking of that Billy Joel song, Matter of Trust.

Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
And they may not want it to end
But it will it's just a question of when
I've lived long enough to have learned
The closer you get to the fire the more you get burned
But that won't happen to us
Because it's always been a matter of trust

I know you're an emotional girl
It took a lot for you to not lose your faith in this world
I can't offer you proof
But you're going to face a moment of truth
It's hard when you're always afraid
You just recover when another belief is betrayed
So break my heart of you must
It's a matter of trust

You can't go the distance
With too much resistance
I know you have doubts
But for God's sake don't shut me out

This time you've got nothing to lose
You can take it, you can leave it
Whatever you choose
I won't hold back anything
And I'll walk a way a fool or a king
Some love is just a lie of the mind
It's make believe until its only a matter of time
And some might have learned to adjust
But then it never was a matter of trust

I'm sure you're aware love
We've both had our share of
Believing too long
When the whole situation was wrong

Some love is just a lie of the soul
A constant battle for the ultimate state of control
After you've heard lie upon lie
There can hardly be a question of why
Some love is just a lie of the heart
The cold remains of what began with a passionate start
But that can't happen to us
Because it's always been a matter of trust


Some of the lyrics fit, some don't. Oh well. Nothing and no one is perfect. Except, of course, God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Youtube Video of A Matter of Trust, Since Embedding Was Disabled.

Hope Springs Eternal

Gabrielle, at I'm Free Now. linked this video at her blog. I found the poem very moving. You are definitely going to want to turn the music off. Go ahead. Press the two parallell lines on the player.



I was thinking of writing a poem about Spring myself, but when I found this, I decided I would rather practice poetry appreciation.

Why Does Freedom of Choice Only Mean Freedom to Abort?

April 9, a worker's right to NOT aid in abortion and other acts they disagree wih is being put in jeopardy. By clicking the link and signing the petition, you may be able to help save THEIR freedom to choose. Please check it out.

Another cartoon reminding me of my teaching days. Yeah, this is funny, but it could really happen. And the cute thing is, they look at me funny when I laugh!
Reminds me of ...
George: Say goodnight, Gracie.
Gracie: Goodnight, Gracie.

Welcome to Candada

Yeah. I have messed up the obvious sometimes. Like Drabble, I have been caught saying good morning instead of good afternoon. I have also let water boil dry, and forgotten to put the milk away.
My favorite goof up? When my supervising professor was visiting on the day I was teaching about Canada, and I was so nervous, I wrote "Candada" on the board. Luckily for me, she saw how drawn in the kids were once they were able to correct me, and thought the mistake was a tool for getting their attention. Yeah. Far be it from me to correct my superiors. How about you? Do you have a favorite mistake?

Prayer Reminders: A "Walk" Through My Home

Okay, friends. You all know this is Lent. The pastor on the blog "Without Wax" has posted his sermon explaining how he remembers to pray throughout the day, which of course is the most important thing we can do during Lent. Here it is.


Pete Says Hell_3.29.09 from Cross Point Church on Vimeo.

Now, what is a conservative Catholic girl like me doing posting noncatholic minister's sermons on her blog? Well, believe it or not, it makes a great intro (in my opinion) as to why Catholics use icons and religious pictures and statues and other sacramentals. I am going to take you on a walk through my house to talk about some of mine. Unfortunately, there will be no pictures, because I don't know how to upload, download, whatever. Maybe I can get Bob to help me sometime and then I'll repost this later, but for now, I will describe them.

Crucifix in bedroom---reminds me of Christ's sacrifice, so that I can thank him in the morning, and ask Him to help me remember His sacrifice throughout the day when I am dealing with other people. I offer him my morning, and ask Him to make it worthy.
Divine Mercy Picture (The one here is from internet, but mine is smaller, and in a green frame)

Notice that it says "Jesus, I Trust in You" at the bottom. This picture reminds me to trust Jesus during the day, and to ask for his mercy. Sometimes I will pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. at 2:00 pm, but not as often as I ought. The repetitious "For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us, and on the whole world" is a prayer near and dear to my heart.

Also in the living room, I have a statue of Mary holding baby Jesus. Sometimes this statue makes me sad, because I can't have children and always wanted them, but most of the time, it reminds me that saying yes to God brings peace. Take a look at her face. Such bliss......because she followed God's plan for her. No doubt it wasn't easy being the mother of God made flesh, but peace doesn't come from easy, but from obedience to the Lord. (I figured out that can use photobooth on the mac to take a picture, but leaving me out of it was near impossible)
Also cool is that this statue was given to me by a dear friend in college after we had a great big argument. Now I normally don't need peace offerings, but I was touched that my friend, who isn't Catholic, respected my beliefs enough to give me this. I think our big argument was theological, but I am not sure of the fine points anymore. Now the only point is that we can disagree, and it doesn't mean we are questioning the other's worth or salvation....it just means we disagree.


I never met my mother-in-law, but in her cedar chest, I found a statue of Saint Therese the Little Flower of Jesus.. Her name wasn't Therese (Catholics can be real fond of the Saint they were named after), but it is a beautiful statue made of some material that doesn't break. I know this because I dropped it when moving, and it didn't break. I keep this statue in my mom's room. She is famous in Catholic circles for "the little way". In other words, I can glorify God in the little things I do everyday to take care of my mom. This is how God wants me to glorify him right now. St. Therese reminds me of that.


In the kitchen I have a picture of Jesus praying in the garden. This picture is dear to me on so many levels. In the garden, Jesus was praying for me. And you. Before dying, His concern was that we would remain in Him. How awesome is that! He was going to suffer a horrible death, and still He prayed for us!
My parents had a different picture of Jesus in the Garden in their dining room. I kept it, but it is a little large for our walls. Still, I get the same feeling from this picture, though it is artistically much different.


There are others I could show you, but I think this post has gotten long enough. I think you have figured out that these pictures and statues are my reminders, and that is why they are so dear to me. They remind me to pray and to serve, and of the loving God I am subject to.

And Yet, He Was

I actually left this as a rather long comment for someone who was feeling bad about some misspoken words at a wake. I shared this to comfort him, and kind of give him the idea that we all do that at some time. I think. As I was typing the comment, I started laughing, and then I knew this comment would work as a post for the life is funny carnival.

Of course, I began with what was meant ot be a joke. I stole it from the Gaithers, more or less.
A minister well known for his beautiful singing voice came home visibly upset after consulting with a new widow about funeral plans for her recently deceased husband. His wife asked him what was wrong, and he revealed that the wife had asked him to sing her husband's favorite song, "Jingle Bells," at the funeral.
He was troubled that it wasn't appropriate to the solemn occasion. He struggled and prayed about it, and finally decided to honor the grieving widow's wishes.
At the funeral, still sensitive about how some of the mourners might react to hearing "Jingle Bells" at a funeral, he carefully introduced the song with words about appreciating the sense of humor and lightheartedness of the deceased.
The widow had been very tearful during the service. Hearing the introduction to her late husband's "favorite song" she sat up and began to appear quite interested. As the preacher began the song, the widow began to smile, and her tears dried up.
She was actually giggling as he concluded, and he felt glad he'd decided to honor her request since it obviously had been so comforting.
After the service she thanked the pastor for sharing his music ministry, and with a big grin she added, "By the way, the favorite song I requested was 'When They Ring Those Golden Bells!'"
I continued with my own terrible faux pas.
My Uncle Ray died many years ago. He used to wear his hair in a comb over, and wore a black t-shirt and black jeans everywhere, including weddings, but we (his nieces and nephews, as he had no wife or children) loved him very much.
At his wake, his nephews and nieces were lamenting that the funeral home gave him a haircut instead of allowing him to keep the comb over, as we remember him. Then I added "Yeah, and everyone knows he wouldn't be caught dead in a suit!" And yet, there he was, dead, and in a suit. I think I was more horrified than anyone else. My family recognized the truth in my statement, while I only saw the inappropriateness of the macabre humour that came out.

Oh, and Wendy, speaking of faux pas, if you decided to finish reading this, please accept my condolensces on the death of your Father -in -law.